Chinese Celebrate Year of the Snake Around the World

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This weekend was the Chinese New Year and for many people, a time for family friends and celebration. The annual holiday is the most widely celebrated holiday in China. Each year it creates one of the biggest mass migrations in the world as people travel home to be with their loved ones.
February 10th was the first day in the lunar calendar, and for many Asian nations, the biggest holiday of the year.
The celebrations began on February 9th, on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
In China, families enjoyed dumplings together starting at midnight. While making the dumplings, a coin is hidden among the stuffing. It is believed that the lucky person who gets the coin will have good fortune and prosperity in the New Year.
Another popular custom is to write calligraphy on red banners and hang them on doors. The words give wishes of future prosperity, good luck and hard work.
On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong for a spectacular multicultural parade. Street performers from 14 different countries paraded down the street, with 36 floats in total. Among the Chinese floats was the traditional Chinese dragon, floating high above the crowds. The dragon signifies good fortune, wisdom and benevolence in Chinese mythology.
In London, the entire downtown was filled with Chinese New Year Celebrations. Marching down the street you could see the traditional dragon dance, red banners, martial artists, drummers, and dancing girls in traditional Chinese costumes. After the parade, dragon dancers performed on pillars to the beat of music and cymbals.
But that wasn't the end of the celebrations. After dark, firecrackers lit up the night skyâ€”a tradition that is supposed to scare away evil spirits.
This year is the year of the snake, and according to Chinese astrology, it's a time to plan ahead. Often unpredictable, the snake is seen as ever changing, bringing great fortune and great sorrow at the drop of a hat.